Over 60s

Scotland are drawn in a three team pool A with Germany and Netherlands, and will play two pool matches followed by two cross over ties to decide the final placings. If we finish in first or second place, we will play off with the teams finishing in the first two places in pool B, which has four teams: Belgium, England, Italy and Wales. The winners of the first round of play offs will contest the final for first and second place and the losers will play off for third and fourth places. If we finish third, we will play off against the teams finishing third and fourth in pool B to decide places 5-7. The result of the match between these two sides in their pool match will be carried forward into the play-off.

Monday 19 Aug Germany 3 Scotland 2 (Paton, Wilson)

A series of call offs led to Scotland having only 11 players, but by special dispensation they were allowed to field Gordon Loudon, a third underage player, to give them a single substitute. The Scots started strongly, with Morrison's strong running on the left causing Germany a good deal of trouble, but only an abortive short corner ensued. Germany started to press and won a short corner, which Kalman saved well. The clearance fell to a German stick and the shot hit a Scottish body - penalty stroke. Kalman was equal to the rather weak effort and saved low down to his left. Scotland started the second quarter brghtly, forcing a short corner which led to two further long corners, from the second of which Bishop put the ball past from a good ball into the circle from Paton. However Germany opened the scoring from their second short corner, Kalman's parry of a strong German strike falling to a German who made no mistake this time to open the scoring. Paton put the Scots level with a great run into the circle on the right, beating the German keeper all ends up. Bishop was unlucky not to put away a Morrison cross which the German keeper just got a foot to. Germany forced two short corners, well defended by Kalman, but Scotland failed to clear the ball and a German cross was deflected past Kalman off a Scottish stick for an own goal. Worse was to follow at the start of the final quarter when a looping pass found the German left winger, who cut the ball back to a team mate to lob Kalman and make the score 3-1. Scotland could have been forgiven for giving up but kept at it, being rewarded when Wilson scored from a short corner to cut the deficit but could not force the vital equaliser and went down 3-2.

Tuesday 20 Aug Scotland 0 Netherlands 4

Two quick goals before Scotland had wakened up made the rest of the match easy for the Dutch, who controlled the majority of possession, the Scots managing only occasional forays into the Netherlands half. Scotland, bolstered by the addition of Ballingall who had just played a game for the Over 65s, reorganised after the early goals and defended well. Their cause was not helped by two players receiving yellow cards, making it very difficult to press the Dutch and score the goals they needed to have a chance of making the medals playoff. However the effort began to tell and, in the final minutes, the tiring Scottish defence twice allowed the Netherlands wingers to carry the ball into the circle and cut it back for a waiting forward to pounce. The 4-0 final score leaves Scotland to wait for the outcome of the remaining Pool B games before finding out their opponents in the playoffs for 5th to 7th positions on Thursday and Friday.

Thursday 22 Aug Scotland 1 (Paton) Wales 1

In the early morning, Scotland faced Wales, looking for the win which would almost guarantee fifth place but with no substitutes as Moore was suffering from a foot injury. They started on the front foot, taking the game to Wales, who always looked dangerous on the break. In the third quarter, Wales came more into the game as the Scots began to flag. Each side was awarded a penalty and Scotland have Kalman to thank for a fine save from the Welsh penalty. Unfortunately Bishop's attempt for Scotland was also saved and the match went into the final quarter evenly balanced. Scotland redoubled their efforts but it was Wales who took the lead. Summoning up their last reserves of energy, the Scots responded well, and were rewarded when Paton scored in the final minutes to earn a draw. Wales having already beaten Italy 2-1, the Scots were left with the task of beating Italy by two clear goals in their final match to finish in fifth place.

Friday 23 Aug Scotland 8 (Bishop 4, Morrison 2, Paton 2) Italy 1

Scotland Over 60s finished the tournament in style, though they had to pull back an early goal from Italy, a double rebound off Kalman and a defender's stick falling kindly to an Italian forward who put Italy into the lead after 10 minutes. That was virtually the only Italian attack, but the Azurri dug in and conceded only two goals in the first half, which ended 2-1 for Scotland. It was a different story in the second half, Scotland running in a further six goals without reply - and it could have been many more as both Paton and Morrison missed good chances to complete their hat tricks, finishing with two goals apiece. Bishop came into his own with four goals and the match ended 8-1 for Scotland, who finished 'best of the rest' in fifth place.

Over 65s

Scotland play five matches in a round robin against England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Wales to decide the final placings.

Monday 19 Aug England 8 Scotland 0

Scotland, playing a new formation, were 3-0 down before they could draw breath. England carved through the Scottish defence for the first goal, but Scotland contributed to their own downfall for both of the next two goals, a defender being caught in possession each time trying to take on the England striker, who had an easy job to round Pollard and score. England scored a further two goals in the second quarter, one from a penalty flick converted by England captain Perryman. The third quarter was the best period for Scotland, who finally started to understand the new system and began to set up attacks by combining in midfield. Tucker's strong running was a feature and lone striker Gordon held the ball well to give the midfield time to back up the front line. However the game became more stretched in the fourth quarter and the tiring midfield put the Scottish defence under too much pressure, England completing the scoring with three goals including a second penalty scored by Stowell and a final goal scored by Sturridge who looped the ball over Pollard after being given all the time in the world to set himself up with no challenge from the Scottish midfield.

Tuesday 20 Aug Netherlands 12 Scotland 0

A dominant Netherlands side showed skill, speed and excellent teamwork, carving out chance after chance against the hapless Scots. The Dutch played a patient, probing game, holding the ball and passing it about until a midfielder lost his marker and darted into the circle to be found with a telling pass. The plan of putting a marker on the main Netherlands playmaker failed because the other Dutch midfielders were almost as good. The score was magnified by the Scots' failure to retain posession for any length of time and almost the whole match was played in the Scottish half.

Wednesday 21 Aug Scotland 1 (Gordon, pen) Germany 4

Scotland Over 65s put on a disciplined, organised and hard working performance against a good German side. The main differences between the two teams was a lack of cutting edge in the Scottish attack and the Scots' inability to secure the outside areas of the pitch in defence. In general the centre of the pitch was well defended but there were still problems outside that area, particularly on the left, where the defensive support from midfield was not yet up to the standard asked for by the coach. Germany scored twice in the first half and once in the second from attacks down their left flank, their other second half goal coming when the Scottish defence failed to clear a ball that keeper Pollard had stopped but which was caught under his feet. Scotland, fielding a lone attacker, had their chances to score through Gordon on more than one occasion and also through Weir with a hard shot from the right which was always going past the left hand post. On the positive side, chances were being created through some passages of interpassing among the midfield, and Scotland at last registered a goal through a penalty won by Gordon. His penalty stroke didn't exactly burst the net but it deceived the keeper and that is all that counts.

Thursday 22 Aug Italy 0 Scotland 0

Nine Scottish short corners, none for Italy. That statistic sums up the one-sided nature of this match, in which Italy, reduced to nine fit men, had been allowed to list three Over 60s players. By half time, all three were playing as the Italians claimed that a further Over 65 had been injured, though he later came back on without appearing to be incapacitated. Perhaps Scotland played a little too defensively as the defence almost totally nullified Italy's attack, Pollard having only one save to make in the match. The Italians virtually surrendered the midfield but Scotland found it difficult in the last third of the pitch, where the Italian defence was camped for the bulk of the match. Rather than creating scoring chances, Scotland forced short corner after short corner but a combination of good goalkeeping and goal line clearances kept them at bay and the match finished disappointingly in a goalless draw. The task on the final day is straightforward: beat Wales for fifth place.

Friday 23 Aug Scotland 0 Wales 0

Scotland battled hard for the win which would have given them fourth place outright after Italy were disqualifed following a 'stewards inquiry' into their shenanigans the previous day. In the first half, Wales mounted a number of attacks, forcing a series of short corners, but the very solid Scottish defence stood firm. Tucker was unable to start because of an Achilles injury and the Scots missed his pace down the right, though Bain was an able replacement until he too had to go off with a hamstring injury. The Scottish midfield gradually began to take a stranglehold over their opponents and Wales were forced deeper and deeper. Both sweepers, Downie for Scotland and Johnson for Wales, play for Aberdeen GSFP; in the second half, Johnson was under constant pressure and proving a thorn in the flesh of the Scots while Downie's main efforts were running back to pick up long, aimless balls from the beleagured Welsh defence. In spite of all the Scottish effort, they created few chances and the match ended 0-0, leaving the two sides tied for fourth place.